Six Flags and Cedar Fair Merge

[Taylor.B03]

1 hour ago, BeeastFarmer said:

I'd conjecture they have met, or are well on the way to meeting the regulatory conditions/approvals.  They would jeopardize market outlook if they did not, indeed, merge.

I wonder if divesture would part of those conditions?  I think there are three markets that have any overlap, and CGA is on a limited timeline. 

I'm doubtful since information like this would've been published by now. They can't just say right before the merger "oh by the way..."

[BeeastFarmer]

3 minutes ago, Taylor.B03 said:

I'm doubtful since information like this would've been published by now. They can't just say right before the merger "oh by the way..."

I doubt so, too, but instead of saying " we have met the conditions set forth, which are...." they say "the merger will complete...subject to..."

[IndyGuy4KI]

1 hour ago, BeeastFarmer said:

I doubt so, too, but instead of saying " we have met the conditions set forth, which are...." they say "the merger will complete...subject to..."

I wonder if this was a ploy to drive up shares? 

[BeeastFarmer]

Ploy? Who knows.  Calculated risk to add value for unit holders (cf) and shareholders (six)... probably.  Cedar Fair units are currently undervalued, so they likely want to get the closer to an average of what the experts are saying premerge, also would be a great time to pick up six shares as the ones who are on record as of June 20th or so will get the merger dividend.

[BeeastFarmer]

Get your Cedar Fair visits in this week.  Next week the two Ohio parks will be part of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation!

https://www.stocktitan.net/news/FUN/cedar-fair-and-six-flags-announce-the-satisfaction-of-regulatory-lrtrgbwzcksl.html

[disco2000]

2 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

Get your Cedar Fair visits in this week.  Next week the two Ohio parks will be part of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation!

https://www.stocktitan.net/news/FUN/cedar-fair-and-six-flags-announce-the-satisfaction-of-regulatory-lrtrgbwzcksl.html

In honor of that, CF parks will adopt SIX operating hours, parks will be closed on Tuesdays, and meal plans are not valid after labor day  (I joke, but who knows what the merger will bring as the two chains decide to adopt each others "best practices")

[BeeastFarmer]

9 minutes ago, disco2000 said:

In honor of that, CF parks will adopt SIX operating hours, parks will be closed on Tuesdays, and meal plans are not valid after labor day  (I joke, but who knows what the merger will bring as the two chains decide to adopt each others "best practices")

I think Cedar Fair started doing Six Flags practice last year with reduced staffing, dirtier midways and continued forward to this year with shorter hours, reduced operating days, Sysco "hand breaded" tenders and vastly reduced entertainment options!

[Tr0y]

I’m curious to see if given how big this merger is, that would the new SIX company end up having its own engineering / design team? Similar to Universal Creative, or Walt Disney Imagineering.

[KIghostguy]

9 minutes ago, Tr0y said:

I’m curious to see if given how big this merger is, that would the new SIX company end up having its own engineering / design team? Similar to Universal Creative, or Walt Disney Imagineering.

Probably. Cedar Fair already does with their XDS team (eXperience Design and creative Studio). Nowhere near as big as WDI, but it exists, and it has grown already in the past couple of years. 

[jzarley]

It’s not unusual in these types of mergers/acquisitions to sell off some of the remaining assets after the close of the sale to avoid market duplication, or (more importantly) pay down some of the assumed debt. Has there been any speculative conversation here about which parks we think could be up for grabs?

I have to assume they’ll do everything possible to keep the “marquee” parks (KI, Knotts, CP, Wonderland, SFMM, etc.) under the new SF umbrella, but there’s still a lot of others that could possibly be sold to help pay down debt. Of course, to sell something you also have to have a buyer—I’m assuming both SeaWorld (excuse me—United Parks & Resorts) and Merlin would both be in the market to acquire some parks (I’ve worked for both, so feel pretty comfortable in that prediction), and also think Palace Entertainment would be in the mix.

I think potential buyers will relate directly to what is offered for sale. For instance, I don’t see SeaWorld or Merlin having a lot of interest in Michigan’s Adventure, but that park does seem like a good match for Palace. On the other hand, SF Fiesta Texas could be a good match for SeaWorld (ahem, UNITED) since there could be economies of scale for a market where they’re already operating a park.

Just some random speculation (but it’s always fun to speculate )

[IndyGuy4KI]

A look at the 2025 drink cups at KI next season. At SF St.Louis right now. I guess my next trip to KI will be SFKI. I am not sure why I am sad about this, but I am. Especially seeing the operations today in St Louis. 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

I doubt we'll see much if not any changes operations wise at KI at least in the short term. Especially since current KI management really pushes for capacity and fast dispatches. Remember these parks operate individually. Fiesta Texas is widely considered one of if not the best Six Flags parks operations wise bc they are ran by the man Jeffery Siebert. While Knott's Berry Farm on the other hand is known for Six Flags level operations. 

[BeeastFarmer]

Standing at the Kings Island security, I felt a pang of something bittersweet. This was it, my last hurrah before the park became associated  with Six Flags. The coasters rattled in the distance, the familiar roar a comforting rumble against the undercurrent of worry churning in my stomach.

The day was a whirlwind of nostalgic thrills. I screamed through the inversions on Banshee, relishing the white-knuckled drops and the wind whipping through my remaining hair. I indulged in the sugary sweetness of a blue ice cream, the cold, gooey goodness a perfect counterpoint to the humid summer air. And I was captivated by the mesmerizing dance of colors in the bubble show, even though I wish the Maestro and company were still present, while Hilda Bovine's musical talent echoed in my memories. It is over, Hilda. You've sang. The people in C-suite mentioned the scariest thing.

A shadow lingered beneath the surface of the fun. Kings Island, a place woven into the fabric of my summer memories, felt like a patient entering hospice care. The park that once pulsed with youthful exuberance now exuded a sense of uncertainty.

Six Flags loomed on the horizon, an enigma wrapped in a coat of roller coasters. Would it usher in a new era of exhilarating rides and dazzling spectacles? Or would it erase the park's quirky charm, turning it into a generic theme park indistinguishable from its brethren? As I left, I stole one last glance back, a silent plea escaping my lips. Please, Kings Island, let your transformation be a paradise, not a purgatory. The park's future hung in the balance, and only time would tell if the metamorphosis would be a glorious ascension or a soul-crushing descent.

[Taylor.B03]

1 hour ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

A look at the 2025 drink cups at KI next season. At SF St.Louis right now. I guess my next trip to KI will be SFKI. I am not sure why I am sad about this, but I am. Especially seeing the operations today in St Louis. 

It'll be interesting to see since Knott's will be the first and only CF park to be open for the 2025 season, whatever we see there will likely be what we see elsewhere.

[Outdoor Man]

A chain with a history of financial troubles marrying a chain that had financial troubles on the horizon... Solution: let's make the Titanic bigger; what could possibly go wrong?

[IndyGuy4KI]

Eating at SFSL at the Moose Lodge. Just had the beef brisket mac n cheese. It was very good and on the meal plan. I guess we could see this at a Cedar Fair park next season. It was good!

[SonofBaconator]

I’ve often thought about what a Six Flags park would look like under control of Cedar Fair. This is an example:

Six Flags New England gets rebranded to New England’s Riverside. 
 

You see the park drop the WB and DC IP in favor of Cedar Fair names and standard Six Flags names. Ride names like Flashback, Great Chase, Pandemonium, Thunderbolt, and Wicked Cyclone would stay. 
 

Superman would be rethemed to Patriot and receive a blue color scheme with white supports. This would use the current CF IP while being an indirect tie into the New England Patriots.

Batman-The Dark Knight would be renamed Revolution which is a name Six Flags owns and plays on the American Revolution and repainted red and blue.

Gotham City Gauntlet Escape from Arkham Asylum would be renamed Paul Revere’s ride (in grasping at straws here)

Joker would be renamed Total Mayhem and given the orange, red, and black color scheme the Great Adventure model was supposed to get

Catwoman’s Whip would be given a generic name like Taxi Jam

Riddler Revenge would be something generic like Flight Deck

Flat rides would have their names altered to remove DC and WB IP. The kids area would be a Camp Snoopy.

The generic names can be more personalized but I’m doing this as if they have a year or so to change the names over like CF did with Paramount.

This is just all for fun and nothing is based on any form of speculation or rumors. This is also a scenario where the WB and DC IP had to go- this will likely not be the case.

[Bansheelover]

In t minus 16 hrs and 20 minutes Six Flags and Cedar Fair merge. Tomorrow morning I am venturing to Six Flags Cedar Point to ride Batman (formerly known as Raptor) ,  Joker  (formerly known as GateKeeper), and Dr Doom's Free Fall (formerly known as Valravn.) The midway we so gracefully loved will be decked out in DC characters and rethemed to Gotham City. On Tuesday when I return to Kings Island I will find that Action Zone has completely be rethemed the Banshee is now known as Batman, Invertigo is Superman, and The Bat is the Joker. All the retheming of Planet Snoopy is adorned by Bugs Bunny and company. I am very excited. 

[SonofBaconator]

3 hours ago, Bansheelover said:

In t minus 16 hrs and 20 minutes Six Flags and Cedar Fair merge. Tomorrow morning I am venturing to Six Flags Cedar Point to ride Batman (formerly known as Raptor) ,  Joker  (formerly known as GateKeeper), and Dr Doom's Free Fall (formerly known as Valravn.) The midway we so gracefully loved will be decked out in DC characters and rethemed to Gotham City. On Tuesday when I return to Kings Island I will find that Action Zone has completely be rethemed the Banshee is now known as Batman, Invertigo is Superman, and The Bat is the Joker. All the retheming of Planet Snoopy is adorned by Bugs Bunny and company. I am very excited. 

Even though we joke(r) about DC being in a lot of their parks, with CF leading way I like to think that they’ll be strategic with DC/WB IP.

[SonofBaconator]

Double post but I’ve made it known that I don’t like when a park has the name Six Flags slapped over it: Magic Mountain, Great America, Great Adventure, and so on. There are some, however, that work: St. Louis, Georgia, etc. Which CF parks would benefit from a Six Flags name slap?

[Orion-XL200]

I'm partial to Six Flags Over Mason

[Taylor.B03]

I'd love to see parks De-Branded from the six flags name. This would be the best time to do so since it's a new chapter in the company. It would be cool to see the parks that weren't six flags parks when they were built to go back to their original names. The six flags name slap (in my opinion) worked best because the internet wasn't the powerhouse it was back then. When you would look for things to do, if you saw / heard the words *Six Flags* back then, you'd know that whatever park it was, it was going to give you a fun experience. Nowadays, this isn't really needed since people who are looking for things to do can search up *Amusement Parks Near me* on google to see the results. 

[disco2000]

I think the opposite and they will be branded with SixFlags naming within 3 years.  There is a reason they decided to go with Six Flags over Cedar Fair for merger name.  As you pointed out, Six Flags naming is brand recognition and they will want to capitalize on it.

[Shawn Meyer]

Please for the love of God, don't rename Kings Island, Six Flags Kings Island. That would stink. 

[Orion-XL200]

3 hours ago, Taylor.B03 said:

I'd love to see parks De-Branded from the six flags name. This would be the best time to do so since it's a new chapter in the company. It would be cool to see the parks that weren't six flags parks when they were built to go back to their original names. The six flags name slap (in my opinion) worked best because the internet wasn't the powerhouse it was back then. When you would look for things to do, if you saw / heard the words *Six Flags* back then, you'd know that whatever park it was, it was going to give you a fun experience. Nowadays, this isn't really needed since people who are looking for things to do can search up *Amusement Parks Near me* on google to see the results. 

In each of their regions, the names outside of Six Flags doesn't matter. Friends of mine near Six Flags Great Adventure don't call it that, they call it "Six Flags." On a Six Flags Over Georgia group on Facebook, members call it "Six Flags" instead of Six Flags Over Georgia. 

Branding the CF parks "Six Flags _____" would give that brand recognition across the country. Enthusiasts sure would know Kings Island, Worlds of Fun, etc. but how many of the general public of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma have to ask "what is Kings Island?" While yes, people can google amusement parks near me, that doesn't do much to draw audiences in if they don't have a recognizable brand. 

[Cedar Fair Fanboy]

49 minutes ago, Orion-XL200 said:

In each of their regions, the names outside of Six Flags doesn't matter. Friends of mine near Six Flags Great Adventure don't call it that, they call it "Six Flags." On a Six Flags Over Georgia group on Facebook, members call it "Six Flags" instead of Six Flags Over Georgia. 

Branding the CF parks "Six Flags _____" would give that brand recognition across the country. Enthusiasts sure would know Kings Island, Worlds of Fun, etc. but how many of the general public of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma have to ask "what is Kings Island?" While yes, people can google amusement parks near me, that doesn't do much to draw audiences in if they don't have a recognizable brand. 

Do what La ronde and Great Escape dose and have a six flags park on the bottom.

[Benjamin22]

There is almost 0 chance they rename any of the big 5 parks to Six Flags _____, the whole strategy under Cedar Fair management was focus on locality to appeal to guest. Renaming the parks to a bland corporate name would be a MAJOR set back to that imo. That being said the smaller parks would benefit more with the Six Flags compared to the larger parks. 

[CoastersRZ]

If I had to guess, I would think that they would go this route.  Keep the branding, and just add a tagline "A Six Flags park".  Gets the point across that it is part of the Six Flags company, but no need to brand it as Six Flags.

I mean, look at the work that Cedar Fair has done with their water parks.  They have slowly been removing the ubiquitous name of Soak City from all the water parks with things like Cedar Point Shores and Carolina Harbor.  Kind of surprised we haven`t seen more of that.

[Kenban]

I used to say Great Escape was not renamed, except I found out a few weeks ago, it was.  In 2022 it was renamed to Six Flags Great Escape.  I was at the park last year and that is not how it’s named on the sign out front.  But when anything new is made, or it’s digital, it now says Six Flags Great Escape.  Although I think they can leave the Six Flags off of merch still.

I suspect Kings Island will be renamed eventually.  But likely not anytime soon and if it happens that it will be a long slow transition.  All it will take is a CEO who wants the name on all the parks.

My understanding is the only Six Flags parks without Six Flags in the name currently, before the merger, is La Ronde and Frontier City.

[Rivertown Rider]

I headed up to the park for a few hours late this afternoon to visit one last time before the merger was official tomorrow.  I typically just ride based upon how busy certain lines or where I am at in the park on a particular visit.

I rode Cargo Loco first and then decided to head over to Action Zone, where I decided to ride Congo Falls then headed over to The Bat.  While I was in line for The Bat, I realized that unintentionally I had ridden a Cedar Fair addition (Cargo Loco), a KECO addition (Congo), and was getting to ride The Bat (ordered by KECO/opened by Paramount).  After I rode The Bat, I headed over to towards International Street and stopped to ride the Grand Carousel (Coney/Opening Day Taft).  

While riding the Grand Carousel it hit me how much history this Carousel has seen throughout the years.  From being at Coney to an opening day Taft attraction through all of the subsequent owners and changes, the Carousel has been one of the few constants since 1972 (or 1926 in the Carousel's case, even if it moved a few counties to the north).  Throughout all of the changes, there have been good and bad and curious changes, but Kings Island has always weathered those changes.  

Change is one of those constants in life that we can't do much about.  I have enjoyed the Cedar Fair era overall and if Cedar Fair and Six Flags take the best of both chains, we could be in for another good era.  Just like all of the eras before it, there will be some good, some bad, and some curious changes, but I'm hopeful that Kings Island will be the same outstanding park it has been these last 52 years.